Emergency text messaging

ABSTRACT

A location privacy configuration module enables location determination to emergency services only relating to an emergency text message or emergency text message session. An emergency text message transmitted to an emergency number is routed to an emergency text message server, which initiates an emergency text indicator for each emergency text message, and requests location information for the emergency texting device by transmitting the emergency text indicator and a location request to a location determination server. Location of the emergency texting device may be obtained without acquiring customer authorization for location determination. The originating text messaging device acknowledges receipt of the emergency text indicator/location request combination and checks the location privacy setting configured thereon. Location determination is permitted if configured to permit location determination if emergency text messaging.

The present invention claims priority from U.S. Application No.61/552,181, filed Oct. 27, 2011, entitled “Emergency Text Messaging”,the entirety of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to wireless communications. More particularly, itrelates to emergency wireless communications, and to emergency textmessaging.

2. Background of the Related Art

As location based services become increasingly prevalent and useful,location services also begin to raise concern for user privacy.

A conventional wireless device includes a location privacy setting toeither allow or disallow requesting applications to obtain locationinformation from that particular wireless device. The conventionalsetting is either ALLOW (Location ON) or DISALLOW (Location OFF) allrequests for applications to obtain location information.

FIG. 5 demonstrates an illustrative example of the location privacysetting available on a conventional wireless device.

As depicted in FIG. 5, conventional wireless devices typically comprisean “E9-1-1 Only” location privacy setting 400 (permitting the disclosureof location only to E9-1-1 emergency services requesters); or a“Location On” location privacy setting 410 (permitting the disclosure oflocation to all requesting applications).

A “Location On” type location privacy setting 410 is a conventionalopt-in location privacy technique that provides customer authorizationfor location disclosure to all requesting types. With “Location On”enabled, a relevant Location based application(s) that is/are active ona wireless device are continuously permitted to obtain locationinformation for that particular device, either on board or from alocation determining service via the wireless network.

Alternatively, location based applications that are active on or with awireless device that are not enabled for a “Location On” type locationprivacy setting 410, are not permitted to obtain location informationfor that particular device to applications (or to requesting thirdparties.) Hence, the “Location On” type location privacy setting 410 inan “off” position does not permit location of a wireless device to bedisseminated to any requesting application or third party.

By FCC regulation mandate in the United States, the location of anE9-1-1 calling device may be obtained at all times by emergencyservices, regardless of the relevant wireless device's location privacysetting. Thus, location information may be obtained without acquiringuser consent if location information is authorized to be obtained and/orrequired by applicable law, e.g., location information that is obtainedto assist emergency situations, E9-1-1 voice calls, etc.

A conventional “E9-1-1 emergency services Only” type location privacysetting 400 permits location information for that wireless device to bedisseminated only to emergency services in response to an E9-1-1location request. Hence, if the “E9-1-1 emergency services Only” typelocation privacy setting 400 is enabled, all non-emergency locationrequests are denied.

A Mobile Positioning Center (MPC) in a traditional E9-1-1 systemtransmits a location request to a Position Determining Entity (PDE) tolocate the position of an E9-1-1 calling device (e.g., a wireless devicethat has placed an E9-1-1 call). The Position Determining Entity (PDE)retrieves a geographic location of an E9-1-1 calling device via a knownlocation determination technique, e.g., a Global Positioning System,triangulation, etc. Once retrieved, the Position Determining Entity(PDE) provides location coordinates for the E9-1-1 calling device to theMobile Positioning Center (MPC). The Mobile Positioning Center (MPC)inserts a geographic location for the relevant E9-1-1 calling deviceinto an E9-1-1 database, for later retrieval by an appropriate PublicSafety Answering Point (PSAP) (i.e. a dispatch office that receives9-1-1 calls from the public).

However, with conventional systems, location is permitted only foremergency voice calls. Text messages, including a text message to anemergency services recipient, will not trigger permission to obtainlocation for the emergency-texting wireless device.

A detailed description of an exemplary text messaging emergency 911system may be found in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 8,185,087, entitled“Emergency 911 Data Messaging”, to Mitchell, Jr., the entirety of whichis hereby expressly incorporated by reference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a locationprivacy module enabling location determination for emergency textmessages comprises a location privacy wireless device module including aconfigurable setting module on a wireless device to permit currentlocation determination of the wireless device to be determined inrelation to an emergency text message addressed to an emergencydestination. A location privacy network server module, associated withan emergency text message server, indicates to a location determinationserver that a particular location request is associated with anemergency text message and thus location is to be provided.

A method of providing location privacy to an emergency text messagingwireless device in accordance with another aspect of the inventioncomprises transmitting an emergency text indicator from a network-basedemergency text message server to a location determination server. Theemergency text indicator is conveyed to an emergency texting device.Location determination of the emergency texting device is performedwithout sending a consent request to the emergency texting device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art from the following description with referenceto the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a high level 911 network diagram as it relates to anon-voice emergency communication (e.g., an emergency text message), inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary wireless device providing emergency textinglocation privacy control, in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary location determination and privacy checkingcall flow, in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts exemplary location privacy determination performed viathe Location privacy module on an emergency text messaging device, inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 5 demonstrates an illustrative example of location privacy settingsavailable on a conventional wireless device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The present inventors have appreciated that there is a need for alocation privacy capability in a wireless device that permits a locationof a wireless device to be disseminated to a Public Safety AnsweringPoint (PSAP) during text messaging to 911 emergency text services,without the need to then permit disclosure of location to otherrequesting, but non-emergency, applications, services, or third partiesthat may otherwise desire location information.

The present invention comprises a wireless device including a modulethat provides a user interface to set an emergency text messaging 911location privacy setting that permits location information for awireless device in non-voice emergency communication (e.g., emergencytext messaging to 911) to be disseminated only to 911 or E9-1-1emergency services. The inventive permissive location privacy settingfor emergency text messaging (e.g. a setting such as “permit locationfor emergency voice and emergency text messaging only”) permits thecurrent location of a wireless device to be provided only when anemergency voice call, emergency text message, or other emergency-relatedcommunication is initiated relating to that particular wireless device.

The determination that a given request for location is related to anemergency communication may be presumed when requested by an authorizedPSAP or other government-sanctioned emergency services requester. Arequest from an authorized emergency services source, together withpermission granted by the relevant wireless device that location may beprovided when not in an active voice call to an emergency servicesdestination (e.g., when in an active call to “911”), is preferablypermitted. Alternatively, location may be restricted to a request from asource which has previously been texted with an emergency text message(e.g., a text message to “911” or similar was recently logged.)

The inventive emergency 911 location privacy setting for non-voicecommunications enables location of a wireless device to be obtained by arequesting 911 emergency service when the wireless device makes anon-voice emergency call, e.g., an emergency text message to 911—withoutrequiring that the relevant wireless device permit location to beprovided to all requesting third parties as would be required in aconventional wireless device.

The inventive wireless device including a non-voice emergency 911location privacy setting as disclosed is enabled by suitable applicationmodules on both the physical wireless device as well as on a physicallocation-based services server within a wireless network tasked withdetermining if location of a given wireless device is authorized.

Thus, the inventive emergency non-voice communication setting forlocation dissemination enables denial of all requests for locationinformation relating to that wireless device that are not requested inrelation to a non-voice emergency communication, e.g., an emergency textmessage, MMS, video clip or feed, etc., addressed to 9-1-1 or otheremergency destination.

A network-based software module enables an emergency text 911 server toidentify a location request as being related to an established emergencysession including non-voice communication. The emergency text message911 server preferably transmits an emergency text indicator with a givenlocation request so that the location request is flagged as relating toan emergency communication made to emergency 911 services. Moreover,instead of using an emergency text indicator in the existing message(e.g., SLIR or ELIR), another option in accordance with the principlesof the present invention is to use a different message altogether.

FIG. 1 shows a high level 911 network diagram as it relates to anon-voice emergency communication (e.g., an emergency text message), inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

In particular, as shown in step 1 of FIG. 1, a wireless device 500transmits an emergency text message to an emergency number (e.g. 911).

In step 2, the transmitted emergency text message traverses the basestation 510, and is delivered to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) 520.

In step 3, the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) 520 transmits the emergencytext message received thereon to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC)530.

In step 4, upon receipt, the Short Message Service Center (SMSC) 530routes the emergency text message (e.g., an SMS message in the disclosedembodiment) to an emergency text message 911 server 540.

In step 5, the emergency text message 911 server 540 requests theprecise latitude/longitude (lat/lon) and/or rough position(tower/sector) of the emergency texting wireless device 500 from alocation determination server 550. The request for location informationpreferably includes an indicator of “Emergency Services” or similardesignation depicting authority to obtain location for the emergencytexting wireless device 500.

In step 6, the location determination server 550 calculates the positionof the emergency texting wireless device 500, and returns retrievedlocation information to the emergency text message 911 server 540.

In step 7, the emergency text message 911 server 540 uses the locationof the emergency texting wireless device 500 to determine routing forthe emergency text message.

In step 8, the emergency text message 911 server 540 routes theemergency text message and location information retrieved for theemergency texting wireless device 500, to an appropriate Public SafetyAnswering Point (PSAP) 560 via conventional routing procedures.

Thus, when a wireless device transmits an emergency text message (e.g.,an SMS text message, an IP based text message, etc.) to an emergencytext number (e.g. 911), that emergency text message is routed to anemergency text message 911 server 540. In accordance with the principlesof the present invention, when an emergency text message 911 server 540receives an emergency text message (e.g., an SMS message addressed to anemergency text number), the emergency text message 911 server 540generates an emergency text indicator.

The emergency text message 911 server 540 transmits an emergency textindicator and a location request (e.g., an emergency text messagelocation request) to a location determination server 550 to requestlocation information for a corresponding emergency texting wirelessdevice 500 (e.g., a wireless device that has transmitted the emergencytext message). An emergency text indicator/location request combinationindicates to the location determination server 550 that locationinformation should be retrieved absent customer authorization (i.e., thelocation server shall inhibit the sending of consent request to the userto obtain consent). (Note that in conventional systems, at this point,the location server attempts to send a consent request message to thehandset requesting consent from the user. With the inventive use of anemergency text indicator, the server must bypass this procedure.)

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a locationdetermination server 550 transmits each emergency text indicatorreceived thereon, to a corresponding requesting device during attemptedlocation determination. An emergency text indicator indicates to thelocation determination server 550 that location information is beingrequested to aid emergency text messaging 911 services.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a wirelessdevice (e.g., Smartphone) with suitable emergency location applicationrecognizes the receipt of a request for location directly from theemergency texting wireless device 500. The request for location includesan emergency text indicator. Acknowledgement of the emergency textindicator/location request combination prompts a wireless handsetemergency location application on the wireless device 500 to check itsown setting of location privacy. If, e.g., an “E9-1-1 Only” or “E9-1-1and SMS 911 Only” is set as the wireless devices' location privacysetting, or a “Location On” location privacy setting 410 is configuredon the emergency texting wireless device 500, location determination ispermitted to proceed. Otherwise, location determination is restricted.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary wireless device provided with emergencytexting location privacy control, in accordance with the principles ofthe present invention.

As depicted in FIG. 2, a location privacy module in the wireless handset500 provides an SMS 911 location privacy setting through a provisioninginterface 100. A mobile subscriber activates an E9-1-1 and SMS 911 Onlylocation privacy setting 100 a, by selecting the setting 100 a (step 10)from a compilation of location privacy settings available on a relevantwireless device.

As portrayed in FIG. 2, inventive handset software provides thefollowing location privacy settings through a provisioning interface100:

-   -   1. E9-1-1 Only (i.e. allow location determination for E9-1-1        voice calls only) (conventional location privacy setting) 400    -   2. E9-1-1 and SMS 911 Only (i.e. allow location determination        for E9-1-1 voice calls and SMS 911 only) (inventive location        privacy setting) 100 a    -   3. Location On (i.e. allow location determination for all        service types) (conventional location privacy setting) 410

As depicted in FIG. 2, a wireless subscriber 110 triggers an emergencytext messaging 911 location request when they transmit an emergency textmessage from a wireless device 500 to an emergency text number, e.g.,911 (step 12).

The emergency text message addressed to the emergency text number, e.g.,911, is routed to the emergency text messaging 911 server 540 on therequesting device's wireless network. Receipt of an emergency textmessage (i.e. an SMS message addressed to an emergency text number)prompts the emergency text message 911 server 540 to request locationinformation for the corresponding emergency text messaging device 500,by transmitting a location request and an emergency text indicator tothe location determination server 550.

Receipt of an emergency text indicator, provokes the locationdetermination server 550 to retrieve location information for theemergency text messaging device 500, without first requesting customerauthorization for the location determination. Moreover, receipt of anemergency text indicator/location request combination prompts thelocation determination server 550 to forward an emergency text indicatorand a location request to the relevant emergency text messaging device500 to initiate location determination (step 14).

A location privacy module 140 on the relevant emergency text messagingdevice 500 acknowledges receipt of the emergency text indicator/locationrequest combination. An emergency text indicator prompts the locationprivacy module 140 to determine whether or not location determination ispermitted to proceed (step 16), depending upon the location privacysetting configured on the emergency text messaging device 500. If thelocation privacy setting is configured as “E9-1-1 and SMS 911 Only” orthe like 100 a, or as “Location On”, the location privacy module 140permits location information for the emergency text messaging device 500to be disseminated to the location determination server 550 (step 18).Otherwise, location determination is restricted.

In operation, a text message that is transmitted by an emergency textmessaging device 500 to an emergency text number (e.g. 911), is routedto an emergency text message 911 server 540, e.g., on the requestingdevice's wireless network.

When the emergency text message 911 server 540 receives the emergencytext message from the emergency text messaging device 500, the emergencytext message 911 server 540 facilitates the determination of thelocation of the emergency text messaging device 500 by initiating alocation request to the location determination server 550.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, theemergency text message 911 server 540 generates an emergency textindicator for each emergency text message that is received thereon. Theemergency text message 911 server 540 then requests location informationfor the emergency text messaging device 500, by transmitting a locationrequest and an emergency text indicator to the location determinationserver 550.

An emergency text indicator/location request combination is preferablytransmitted to the location determination server 550 via an existingemergency interface (e.g. MLP ELIR). However, a location request and anemergency text indicator may alternatively be transmitted to thelocation determination server 550 via a non-standardized interface forlocation.

An emergency text indicator received together with a location requestindicates to the location determination server 550 that the locationrequest is a request for location of an emergency text messaging deviceto aid emergency 911 services. When the location determination server550 receives the location request for an emergency text messagingdevice, indicated by way of an emergency text indicator, the locationdetermination server 550 is instructed to perform location determinationfor the emergency text messaging device 500, without first acquiringconsent of the user of the emergency text messaging device 500. Hence,an emergency text indicator enables the location determination server550 to waive user consent for location determination, i.e., user consentfor location determination is considered impliedly granted or notnecessary when the emergency location request is received on thelocation determination server 550.

Once the location determination server 550 acknowledges receipt of anemergency text indicator/location request combination, the locationdetermination server 550 forwards the emergency text indicator and alocation request to the corresponding emergency text messaging device500, to initiate location determination thereon.

The inventive location privacy module 140 acknowledges receipt of anemergency text indicator/location request combination from an emergencytext messaging device 500. Receipt of the emergency textindicator/location request combination prompts the location privacymodule 140 to check the location privacy setting configured on therelevant emergency text messaging device 500. If the privacy setting isconfigured as “E9-1-1 and SMS 911 Only” or the like 100 a, or “LocationOn”, on the emergency text messaging device 500, the location privacymodule 140 permits location determination to proceed. Otherwise,location determination is restricted.

Results of the location request are then returned to the emergency textmessage 911 server 540 for subsequent routing to the appropriate PublicSafety Answering Point (PSAP).

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary location determination and privacy checkingcall flow, in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

In particular, text message 911 emergency services are initiated when amobile device 500 transmits a text message addressed in the header to anemergency text number, e.g., 911, as depicted in step 1.

In step 2, the transmitted emergency text message is received on theemergency text messaging mobile device's wireless network 160, and thenis routed to an emergency text message 911 server 540, based ondestination digits indicated therein.

In step 3, a node (e.g. a Short Message Service Center) on the mobiledevice's wireless network 160 routes a message containing deliverystatus for the transmitted emergency text message, back to theoriginating mobile device 500.

A message acknowledging the receipt of the emergency text message on theemergency text message 911 server 540 is then transmitted to a node onthe originating device's wireless network 160, as depicted in step 4.

In step 5, the emergency text message 911 server 540 detects that theemergency text message received thereon is an emergency text message,and thus associates an emergency text indicator therewith. The emergencytext message 911 server 540 then transmits the location requestcontaining the emergency text indicator and a mobile directory numberfor the originating mobile device 500 to the location determinationserver 550.

In step 6, the location determination server 550 on the mobile device's500 wireless network 160, receives the location request and detects theaccompanying emergency text indicator. Upon detection, the locationdetermination server 550 disables the requirement for user consent, andtransmits a location request/emergency text indicator combination to theoriginating mobile device 500.

In step 7, the location request transmitted by the locationdetermination server 550 is received on the originating device'swireless network 160 and thereby forwarded to the originating mobiledevice 500.

In step 8, the originating mobile device 500 receives the request forlocation and detects the accompanying emergency text indicator. Theemergency texting wireless device 500 determines if locationdetermination is permitted to proceed (step 8 a), or if locationdetermination must be restricted (step 8 b).

As depicted in step 9, results of the location determination process arereturned to the emergency text message 911 server 540 for subsequentrouting to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

FIG. 4 depicts exemplary location privacy determination performed viathe Location privacy module on an emergency text messaging device, inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

In particular, as shown in step 300 of FIG. 4, an emergency textmessaging device 500 receives a location request from a locationdetermination server 550.

Upon receipt, a location privacy module 140 on the emergency textmessaging device 500 determines if an emergency text indicatoraccompanies or is included within the location request, as shown in step310.

If an emergency text indicator is not received with the locationrequest, then privacy control procedures are performed in an otherwiseconventional manner, as shown in step 320. However, if an emergency textindicator is received with the location request, the location privacymodule 140 checks the location privacy setting (step 330) configured onthe emergency text messaging device 500, to determine if locationdetermination is permitted to emergency text messaging 911 services. Ifthe location privacy is configured as “Location On”, or as “E9-1-1 andemergency text message 911 Only” or the like 100 a, then the locationprivacy module 140 permits location determination to proceed, asdepicted in step 340.

If location privacy is not configured as “Location On”, and notconfigured as “E9-1-1 and emergency text message 911 Only” or the like100 a, then location determination is restricted as depicted in step350.

In application, the following occurs:

When the emergency text message 911 server 540 receives a request fromthe emergency texting device 500, the emergency text message 911 server540 must determine the location of the emergency texting device 500 byperforming a request to the location determination server 550. Prior todoing so, it performs the following:

a) Select the existing emergency interface (e.g., MLP ELIR) to be usedto query the location request. The emergency text message 911 server 540generates an emergency_text_indicator to the location determinationserver 550. This causes the location determination server 550 to conveythe emergency_text_indicator to be sent back to the emergency textingdevice 500 during the location determination process and to performlocation determination of the emergency texting device 500 withoutsending a consent request to the emergency texting device 500.

b) For non-standardized interface for location determination, anemergency_text_indicator will be set in the message from the emergencytext message 911 server 540 to the location determination server 550 toindicate that the location request is in association with an emergencytext message and that no consent need be sent to the emergency textingdevice 500 during the location determination process.

c) In either case, the emergency_text_indicator is sent back to theemergency texting device 500 to assist the emergency texting device 500to determine whether current location information is allowed to proceeddepending upon the location privacy setting in emergency texting device(e.g., wireless handset/phone) 500.

During an emergency text message origination, when the emergency textmessaging device 500 receives a location request from the network toperform location determination, the location privacy module looks for anemergency_text_indicator. If the emergency_text_indicator is set and theprivacy setting indicates that it allows location determination foremergency voice and text only, or if it allows location determinationfor all service types, the emergency texting device 500 allows locationdetermination to proceed; otherwise, location determination isrestricted.

The present invention has particular applicability to cell phonemanufacturers, text message 911 server manufacturers, location/positiondetermination server manufacturers, and/or cellular networkmanufacturers. Particular applications include location privacy consent,privacy category setting and detection, emergency text category, andemergency text indicator setting.

While the invention has been described with reference to the exemplaryembodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to makevarious modifications to the described embodiments of the inventionwithout departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of providing location privacy to anemergency text messaging wireless device, comprising: receiving, at anemergency texting device, a location request message including anemergency text indicator from a network-based emergency text messageserver; determining a privacy configuration of said emergency textingdevice indicates location determination by said emergency text messagingwireless device is restricted even in response to said location requestincluding said emergency text indicator; and denying GPS locationinformation from said emergency texting device in response to saidlocation request message including said emergency text indicator.
 2. Amethod of providing location privacy to an emergency text messagingwireless device, comprising: receiving a location request messageincluding an emergency text indicator within an emergency text message,said emergency text indicator indicating that an associated locationrequest is in association with said emergency text message, and that noconsent need be sent to an emergency texting device that originated saidemergency text message during a location determination process to locatesaid emergency texting device; determining that a location privacysetting in said emergency texting device indicates locationdetermination by said emergency texting device is restricted even inresponse to said location request including said emergency textindicator; and denying GPS location information from said emergencytexting device in response to said location request message includingsaid emergency text indicator.
 3. The method of providing locationprivacy to an emergency text messaging wireless device according toclaim 1, wherein: said location privacy setting in said emergencytexting device further denies said GPS location information fornon-emergency location requests.